Visa

The visa requirement regulates which foreign nationals need a visa to enter Germany and which do not: 

• Citizens of the European Union (EU) and citizens of countries belonging to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) do not need a visa. 
• Citizens of other countries (‘third-country nationals’) need a visa to enter Germany. 

There are exceptions for some third countries. This is due to special agreements with Germany. Citizens of the following countries, therefore, do not need a visa for short stays (up to 90 days): 

• Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. 

If nationals of these third countries wish to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days or work here, they must still apply for a residence permit.

You must apply at a German diplomatic mission abroad. The diplomatic mission in the country or region where you have your habitual residence or domicile is responsible for your application. You can find a list of German diplomatic missions abroad on the Federal Foreign Office's website.

To apply, you must complete an application form. This form is available from the relevant diplomatic mission or online. Depending on the type of visa, you may need to submit additional documents, such as your employment contract or proof of your university degree. 

There are two ways to apply for a visa:

• In person: You may need to go to the relevant foreign mission in person to apply. 
• Online: In many cases, you can also apply for a visa online via the Foreign Office's foreign portal.

After you have submitted your application, the relevant foreign mission will check whether any documents are missing. If your documents are complete, you will need to schedule an appointment with the foreign mission. You can make an appointment via the Foreign Office's foreign portal. There, you can also check the status of your application at any time. 

Further information on applying for a visa can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office. Further information on the visa and entry process can also be found on the Make it in Germany website.

There are different types of visas for entering Germany. The visa you need to apply for depends on the reason for your stay in Germany and the planned duration of your stay. 

• Short stay (up to 90 days): If you are coming to Germany for a maximum of 90 days and only for tourism, business or family visits, a Schengen visa (C-visa) is sufficient. Please note: You are not allowed to work in Germany with a C- visa! 
• Long-term stay (more than 90 days): If you are coming to Germany for longer than 90 days and wish to work, study, undergo vocational training or join your family here, you will need a national visa (D-visa). 

The most important national visas are: 

• Work visa for qualified professionals
• Visa for professionally experienced workers
• Visa for recognition partnership
• Visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications 
• Visa for vocational training
• Visa for the purpose of seeking a vocational training place 
• Visa for studying
• Visa for the purpose of seeking a place in higher education 
• Visa for family reunification

Further information on these national visas can be found further down the page. In addition, there are other national visas, such as the research visa, the language acquisition visa and the self-employment visa.

There are also special regulations for certain occupational groups, such as nursing assistants. Information on other types of visas and special regulations can be found on the Make it in Germany website. 

Would you like to work in Germany as a skilled worker and already have a job offer? Then the work visa for qualified professionals could be relevant for you. 

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have a specific job offer in Germany. This must be a qualified position. 
• You have a university degree or have completed vocational training. The degree must be recognised in Germany or comparable to a German degree (see Recognition of qualifications)
• If you are older than 45 years and travelling to Germany for employment for the first time, you must earn a gross annual salary of at least 55,770 euros (in 2026) in your job in Germany. Alternatively, you must provide evidence of adequate pension provision.

The Federal Employment Agency must approve your employment. Among other things, it will check whether your employment conditions (salary, working hours, etc.) are comparable to those of domestic employees.

Would you like to work in Germany, already have professional experience and a job offer in a non-regulated profession? Then the work visa for experienced workers could be relevant for you. 

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have a job offer in Germany for a non-regulated profession. 
• You have a university degree or a vocational qualification with at least two years of training. The qualification must be recognised by the state in the country where it was obtained. For this, you will need to provide proof.
• You have worked in this profession for at least two years in the last five years (or in a similar profession that qualifies you for the job in Germany). 
• You must earn a gross annual salary of at least 45,630 euros (in 2026) in your job in Germany. If you are older than 45 years, you must earn at least 55,770 euros (in 2026). Alternatively, you can provide evidence of adequate pension provision.

Do you want to work in Germany and already have a job offer, but your foreign qualifications are not yet recognised in Germany? Then the visa for recognition partnership could be relevant for you. 

With this visa, you can enter Germany to apply for recognition of your qualifications and start working in your new job at the same time.

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have a job offer in Germany for a skilled occupation. Auxiliary tasks are not sufficient.
• You have a university degree or a professional qualification with at least two years of training. The degree must be state-recognised in the country in which it was obtained. 
• You have German language skills at least at level A2. You may have to participate in qualification measures in Germany that require a higher level.
• Your employer must be willing to support you in having your qualifications recognised. A written agreement with your employer is required for this purpose. The agreement can be part of your employment contract.
• Your employer in Germany must be suitable for the recognition partnership. The authority in charge will check whether your employer is suitable. 
• Your employment conditions (salary, working hours, etc.) must be comparable to those of domestic employees. This is checked by the Federal Employment Agency during the visa application process. The Agency must approve your employment.

Would you like to work in Germany, but your qualifications obtained abroad have only been partially recognised in Germany? Then the visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications could be relevant for you.

With this visa, you can enter Germany and attend qualification measures there. This could be an internship or a training course, for example, where you acquire the skills you need to obtain full recognition. 

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You can prove that you have applied for recognition of your qualifications and that the competent authority has partially recognised your qualifications. Proof of this is provided by the recognition notice. 
• You have registered for a suitable qualification measure. 
• You have German language skills at least at level A2. A higher level may be required to participate in some courses and training programmes.
• Your livelihood is secured for the duration of your stay in Germany. This has a different meaning depending on the type of qualification measure:
  • For a work-related measure (e.g. an internship in a company), you must provide proof of a monthly gross income of at least 1,200 euros (in 2026). 
  • For a school-based measure (e.g. language course), you must prove that you have at least 1,091 euros net per month (in 2026) at your disposal. Proof can be provided by opening a German blocked account or by submitting a letter of commitment.

Would you like to complete vocational training in Germany and have already been accepted for a training position? Then the visa for vocational training is relevant for you. 

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have been accepted for a training position in Germany at a company or vocational school.
• You meet the necessary language requirements. Usually, German language skills at least at level B1 are required for vocational training. 
• Your livelihood is secured for the duration of the training. This has a different meaning depending on the type of vocational training:
  • In the case of school-based vocational training, proof can be provided by opening a blocked account, a letter of commitment or a scholarship. You must have at least 959 euros net per month (in 2026) at your disposal. 
  • In the case of in-company vocational training, you will receive a monthly remuneration that can be used as proof. For this, you must earn at least 1,048 euros gross per month during your training (in 2026). If you earn less than this, you can either open a blocked account for the missing amount or submit a letter of commitment.

Would you like to complete vocational training in Germany, but do not have a training place yet? Then the visa for searching for a training place is relevant for you. 

With this visa, you can enter Germany to search for a training place and apply for it.

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have a school leaving certificate that entitles you to enter higher education (i.e. that allows you to study). 
• You have German language skills at least at level B1. 
• You are under 35 years of age.
• Your livelihood is secured for the duration of your stay. 

Do you want to study in Germany and already have admission to a university in Germany? Then the student visa is relevant for you.

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have admission to a state-recognised university in Germany.
• Your livelihood is secured for the duration of your studies. You can prove this by means of a blocked account (at least 11,904 euros in 2026), a scholarship or a letter of commitment.
• You have sufficient German language skills for your studies. For many degree programmes, you must prove that you have at least B2 level German language skills. 

Would you like to study in Germany but do not have a place at a university yet? Then the visa for the purpose of seeking a place in higher education is relevant for you. 

To apply for this visa, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have a school-leaving certificate that entitles you to study at a university in Germany or to attend a preparatory college.
• You meet the language requirements for your intended course of study. 
• Your livelihood is secured for the entire duration of your stay. Proof of this can be provided by opening a blocked account with at least 1,091 euros per month (year 2026) or by means of a letter of commitment.

Are you already in Germany and would like to bring your spouse or children to join you, for example? Then there are two options:

• Are your family members citizens of a member state of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland? Then they do not need a visa to enter Germany.
• Are your family members third-country nationals? Then they need a visa to come to Germany to join you. 

Further information on family reunification can be found here.